Music Meme 2
by Consuelo Higdon
Summary: /Drabble Collection/ A series of NiGHTS drabbles written to music /NiGHTS Reala Jackle/


Authors Note: I originally didn't want to do this, but I had writer's block and this was the only writing exercise I knew of. For the record, I see NiGHTS as a girl. Also, for number 6, I do not see any NiGHTS characters as compatible in a romantic relationship. That means that I don't support any couples in NiGHTS. At all. So if anything, number 6 is just Jackle being his normal, crazy self.

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1. Steam Machine – Daft Punk

She had never been to a Nightopia like this before. Of course, it really wasn't made by a regular Visitor anyways; this Visitor was very different from the ones she had met before. Apparently he was something that he called 'punk', and wore his hair oddly. Though to be entirely honest, NiGHTS felt more at home with this Visitor than she had ever felt before. This was proven when Reala showed up.

Things went the way they usually did; Owl would introduce the Visitor to Nightopia, then Reala would show up and capture her. That's just the way things ended up going for most of the 'orientations' that they went through. Almost like a rut. Though this time, Reala didn't show up until after the Visitor had decided to go exploring his own Nightopia. When Reala _did _show up, he immediately commented that he took longer than usual because he wasn't entirely sure if he was still in Nightmare or not.

Perhaps this was a bad sign. Maybe something would go wrong this time, or the Visitor would try to side with Wizeman? The mechanical, over-detailed and very bleak nature of this Nightopia really unnerved Owl, and there wasn't a single Nightopian to be seen anywhere. Not behind the giant cogs that made this enormous machine work, not hidden behind a piece of piping or machinery scattered all over the place…

Nowhere.

**2. Starfire – Alexander Perls**

Something seemed oddly regal about this old Nightopia. Reala didn't know when he was here before, since there were just so many different Visitors that showed up, and he lost count of who had created which Nightopia over the years. In all of his thirteen years of being around, he always lost track of names and faces, but never the Nightopias. If it wasn't created by a new one, then he would always remember which Nightopia belonged to whom. Even if he didn't remember the Visitor themselves.

This particular Nightopia was full of neon lights, large buildings, and an expanse of green with childish blocks, jungle gyms, and other random children's toys scattered everywhere. The world of green was beaten by an eternal sun, whereas all of the neon and buildings were stuck in perpetual night. Though Reala could hardly tell it was night because of all of the eye-bleeding _lights. _He got a headache just looking at them. What's more, there were Nightopians everywhere, inhabiting this area. And it reeked of wet dog for some reason.

Wait, why was here again? Ugh, stupid lights, distracting him from his purpose. He was supposed to be looking for NiGHTS, not glaring at the lights. Glaring at them was pointless anyway—they would just glare back. He needed to let NiGHTS know what he had just discovered. It seemed their old friend Sonic had invited them to play 'tennis'. They needed to learn how to play before going there.

Reala refused to have even the slightest chance of losing.

**3. 72 degrees and sunny – Thomas Newman**

Jackle was not pleased. NiGHTS could tell just by looking at him—he wasn't at all happy here in this blank, white hallway. NiGHTS sighed, defeated. How was she supposed to cheer Jackle up if he wouldn't even respond? She had tried earlier to talk to him about something interesting that happened to her, but he didn't listen. In fact, when she was explaining something that actually was quite painful, he said 'that's wonderful, maybe you should go there'. Obviously he was somewhere else.

Frankly, it was worse being in this blank nothingness when the only companion she had was about as talkative as a doormat. NiGHTS really wished that this would just be over with. They were here for quite a while now, and once that stupid train came then she would be able to get back on track with the Races that were about to happen. She wasn't going to miss this for anything! She had always showed up without fail to all of the SEGA events, and this time would be no exception.

She hoped.

**4. Swords Crossed – Klaus Badelt**

This was scary. This was just so very, very scary, that she had no idea what she was supposed to do anymore. All that she could see was blackness, and she could have sworn there was some kind of laughter or giggling beyond her line of sight.

What was that!? Oh dear, what was going on? Where was NiGHTS? S-She had disappeared—Agh! what was that!?

Oh no.

She ran. She ran as fast as she could away from that thing what was it going to do to her!? What… What was that? No. No it couldn't be… NIGHTS!?

NIGHTS WAS ATTACKING HER. She was some sort of gruesome monster thing and it had claws and shifty skin and everything and AGH! Get away! She had to get away! What was happening!? No nononononono this can't be happening NiGHTS was friendly! She may be a nightmare but she would never hurt anyone for the sake of hurting them. Where was she? Did she leave? She stumbled backward, scared out of her mind, adrenaline pumping through her like crazy. Then there was something behind her. Something soft, but a little leathery…

It was NiGHTS.

**5. That's Not My Name – The Ting Tings.**

This was getting them nowhere. Why was this Visitor so unhappy? If he wouldn't just confess what he was thinking, then he would at least drop the subject! Besides, why was he so unhappy at NiGHTS' mispronunciation of his name? NiGHTS never meant ill, most of the time, but this Visitor just didn't seem to get the message at all. If Owl had hands he would have slapped his own face. What was worse was that NiGHTS was determined to guess his name.

"Ulysses?"

"No."

"Max?"

"Nope."

"Bird?"

"Bird? What kind of a name is bird?"

"I'm running out of ideas, here! Why won't you just say what your name is?"

"Because it's stupid and I'm frustrated at no one getting my name right all the time!"

"Well we're not getting anywhere by fighting about it! Just spit it out already!" Owl managed to speak out, reveling in his displeasure. He was frustrated beyond belief, and he had no patience for this. "Just tell us your name so we can get on with this." He completed, in a more compassionate tone. He would have to be a bit more patient with this one, it seemed. Oh well. At least the Visitor was finally going to comply.

"My name is Susan."

"_Susan!? _That's a girl's name!"

"Oh yeah!? Well _you _act like a girl!"

"Who says I'm not one"

"Oh not again…" Owl groaned.

**6. Viva Discordia – That Handsome Devil**

Jackle was having fun now. He loved it when things got out of hand around Nightmare. It was always part of the overall charm of the place in the first place. Currently, Puffy was complaining in her annoying operatic voice about something or other, and Reala was somewhere in a corner banging his head onto the wall. Jackle was greatly amused by Puffy, so much so that his smile would not leave his face. In fact, he felt like laughing.

What was the point anyway? Nothing had any real meaning to it. Jackle had realized this long ago. Hence why he went on and decided to have fun with this. He would just go ahead and join in on the chaos of Nightmare. Besides, Nightopia was far too bright and sunshiny for his tastes. He was much more content in his artificially lit playpen. He had all of the toys he would ever want in there.

Oh wait, what was Puffy saying? Something about mustard and a rocking horse? Ah, no matter. He didn't care either way. What was keeping him from leaving right now? Besides, he had a nice little tune in his head right now, and that was probably more interesting than Puffy. He may as well go ahead. Nothing was stopping him. So why was he just standing here while Puffy raved on and on? What would it take to shut her up? Ah!

In one fell swoop, Jackle slammed his face onto Puffy's and kissed her.

**7. Space Kitten – The Polish Ambassador**

Ah, this was nice. Just a time to do nothing. No Visitors would show up for at least another eight hours, if not more. This was the perfect time to practice a few new tunes she had picked up for her flute. These newer female visitors always gave her new material! Besides, that old theme tune she learned was getting monotonous anyways.

And who's to say she can't try out a new instrument in general? She was gifted with the ability to morph, and her invisible instruments were limitless. So she tried a new one. She picked up some Dream Sticks and started banging along on a Xylophone, tapping on and on and going back and forth from tones and notes that weren't on a typical Xylophone and making up a random tune. She messed up occasionally and made a strange combination, but she kept going anyway.

How about a piano? She had heard of several visitors who played piano, so there was really nothing keeping her from trying it out herself, eh? So she discarded the Xylophone and began to tap her fingers in random order on the Dream Piano. There was something she heard of called a 'synthesizer'. It was like a piano, only it made different sounds.

The possibilities were endless.

**8. The Slow Train – Lemon Jelly**

Chugga chugga chugga chugga chugga chugga…

My, this was an interesting dream wasn't it? NiGHTS had never been on a train before as someone's dream. This train in particular was more of an abstract line than anything. It was really different from what she usually went through. Often times Nightopias wouldn't be moving pieces of machinery—they were more often cities or landscapes. This was really an interesting Nightopia at the least.

What was weirder was that she couldn't find the Visitor called Susan. He had been insistent on NiGHTS referring to him as K instead, but NiGHTS had settled on 'The Visitor called Susan' instead. It was funnier, and degrading. She liked it. But if she couldn't find him, then that meant she couldn't do anything to help or dualize with him. Whatever he was doing, she was certain that he wouldn't like it if she found him doing it. Which made it all the more imperative that she find him.

So she flew out of the train.

Big mistake.

The train was moving continuously in an enormous expanse of white nothing. She couldn't even get a moment's rest—she had to follow the train's odd travel pattern. Currently it was moving upwards, and she had some time to catch up with it. But not before it shot downwards and she had to keep going forwards to stay in touch with it. If she lost it, who _knows _what might happen? She was most definitely not going to let him get himself tossed into a bottomless pit!

Oh good! It's slowing down. NiGHTS relaxed, catching up to the conductor's box at the front. She maneuvered her way inside, and found a lot of random machinery. In the conductor's chair was Susan, sleeping contently.

She didn't wake him up.

**9. Juvenile – Rin and Len Kagamine**

This was rather odd.

Reala was rather uncomfortable in this situation. Mostly because he had his mask off. He could barely remember the last time he didn't have his mask on, since it was tied to his earlier t memories of being alive. But NiGHTS had insisted, and she had reasoned that Wizeman had already accepted them having a time out. Reala wasn't so sure if he was this acceptant.

So far, all they had been doing was stare at the ever-shifting sky and be silent. NiGHTS was either asleep or pondering, and Reala was doing the latter. He actually sort of liked it. Just being with NiGHTS and doing nothing. NiGHTS had taken to referring to them collectively as 'twins', a term she learned from two Visitors—a male and a female—that showed up one day in Nightopia. Apparently they shared similar body appearances, had the same birthday, and often felt connected to each other in some way.

Now that he thought about it, Reala sort of felt the same way with NiGHTS. Their bodies and being born on the same day were kind of a given—just one look at them and you could tell they were related somehow. But what about that connection thing? Reala _did _have this innate sense of knowing where NiGHTS was at times. And he could sometimes tell if she was happy or sad or angry, even if he wasn't in her line of vision and incapable of seeing her facial expression. Maybe those Visitors were right.

Maybe they were twins.

**10. Down to Earth – Peter Gabriel**

NiGHTS liked it when this happened.

She liked it when the Nightopian moon transported her to the human world. She had always loved it when she was in the waking world. But not for too long. She had already gotten her fair share of sunlight, and she was a little afraid of the true version of it. The whole of the Night Dimension was actually quite, quite dark. It was in perpetual night, and that was the way she liked it.

Though when she did manage to get to the human world, the world was always quite a sight to behold. Most recently, with Will and Helen, two of the most memorable Visitors she had ever encountered, she had been transported to their hometown of Bellbridge. And it was a fully fledged city in the outskirts of London, England, and it had a giant Clock Tower to boot. That Clock tower also doubled as a theater. Just for the fun of it, she decided to fly around—out of sight, of course—to see what the rest of the city was like.

She found the most wonderful things. This city was so… _beautiful! _ There was a Football Ring somewhere, with enormous floodlights and made it almost as bright as day. There was a theater somewhere around that had a large outdoor audience, and it had the most beautiful choreography she had ever seen. The buildings were all designed with wonderful precision and imagination. Everything was so wonderful. She even found a Flash Mob of people doing a traditional music piece in the middle of the city at night! She memorized the tune, and flew back to the peak of the Clock Tower.

Once she was close enough, she perched herself onto the tower, picked up her flute, and played.


End file.
